SOUTH PACIFIC COMMISSION; FISHING FOR TUNAS ASSOCIATED WITH FLOATING OBJECTS: A REVIEW OF THE WESTERN PACIFIC FISHERY.

CONTENTS: 1. INTRODUCTION, 1. BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE TUNA FISHERIES OF THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL PACIFIC OCEAN, 1. SCOPE AND PURPOSE OF REVIEW, 2. WESTERN PACIFIC PURSE SEINE FISHERY, 5. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PURSE SEINE CATCH, BY ASSOCIATION, 5. TYPES OF ASSOCIATION, 5. LOG ASSOCIATION, 6. FAD ASSOCIATIONS, 6. ANIMAL ASSOCIATIONS, 7. UNASSOCIATED SCHOOLS AND GEOGRAPHIC/OCEANOGRAPHIC ASSOCIATIONS, 8. PURSE SEINE SETS, 10. TOTAL CATCH, 10. CATCH PER SET, 15. SPECIES COMPOSITION, 15. COMMERCIAL SPECIES, 18. BY-CATCH SPECIES, 21. SIZE COMPOSITION, 26. SPATIAL PATTERNS, 34. TEMPORAL PATTERNS, 34. DIEL PATTERNS, 37. SEASONAL PATTERNS, 38. LONG-TERM PATTERNS, 39. TUNA DYNAMICS AND FLOATING OBJECTS, 39. AGGREGATION SIZES AND RECRUITMENT TO FLOATING OBJECTS, 40. MOVEMENT DYNAMICS, 44. RESEARCH PROBLEMS, 44. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, 45. REFERENCES, 47. APPENDIX, 47. CATCHES OF REPEATED PURSE SEINE SETS ON INDIVIDUAL LOGS IN THE WESTERN TROPICAL PACIFIC.